EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Middle School is leading a District #7-wide “I Stand With Heroes” campaign to raise awareness and money for pediatric cancer in honor of one of its students, 7th grader Noah Rensing, who is battling cancer for the third time in his young life.
Highlighting the campaign are t-shirts being sold that were designed by Noah himself. The shirt features Noah’s face with the words “I Stand With Heroes” on the front, while on the back there is a yellow ribbon to represent pediatric cancer with all 13 schools in District #7 listed beneath it. Noah, who attended primary school at Glen Carbon Elementary and intermediate at Albert Cassens Elementary, said he wouldn’t have been able to get through this time without his District #7 family.
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He has a goal of selling 1,000 shirts with 50 percent of the proceeds going to Friends of Kids with Cancer.
Noah’s first battle with cancer came in January 2018 when he was diagnosed with grade 3 anaplastic ependymoma. He went through 33 proton radiation treatments five days a week at Siteman Cancer Center before starting an aggressive three-cycle chemo trial with numerous complications in May of that year.
Unfortunately, Noah’s cancer returned 23 months later. But knowing he beat cancer once, Noah said he could do it again. He completed his second surgery in January 2020, followed by 29 proton treatments before starting chemo treatment at home.
Yet again, however, his cancer returned just 16 months later, which resulted in his third surgery this past June.
“Noah has had brain surgeries, chemotherapy, multiple types of ports, radiation, blood draws, hospitalizations and endless amounts of doctor’s visits,” said Liberty Principal Dr. Allen Duncan. “But, he has never lost his infectious smile or laugh, and he's never lost his will to beat cancer. Regardless of the situation, Noah has continued to be a shining light here at Liberty Middle School, and he continues to show up every day. If Noah can show up every day, so can I. This is why Noah is my hero.”
While 50 percent of the t-shirt sale proceeds will go to Friends of Kids with Cancer, the other 50 percent will go to a fellow District #7 student, Lincoln Middle School’s Ben Waymire, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, at the request of Noah.
“Although Noah and Ben do not know each other or attend the same school, they are both part of the District #7 family, and we all stand together,” Duncan said.
To purchase a t-shirt: https://www.500level.com/collections/we-stand-together
